Leaving River Exe

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ANDY_W

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I'm hoping that there is some-one here who is familiar with the River Exe and can offer
some advice and guidance.

I have a 31' Westerly Longbow which will be launched on Tuesday AM at Topsham. The plan
is to pick up a mooring at Turf Lock and, during the rest of the day, bend on the sails and get ready to sail for Plymouth on Wednesday.

I note from the internet that there is a new channel out of the Exe across Pole Sands and that the forecast wind for that day is low F5 SW.

Is the new channel well marked and is it likely to be feasible in the forecast conditions?

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Regards,

Andy
 
I can't help but reply as you are following in our wake. Our Westerly Sealord, Serendipity was launched at Topsham (Retreat Boatyard) when we bought her and we too picked up a mooring at Turf Lock and then sailed for Plymouth.

The new channel is well marked, but what time of day are you thinking of leaving and what state of tide? If it really is a SW 5 it will be a bit lumpy going out and across the bay and the wind is not exactly in an ideal direction... I hope that you don't get too many snags bending on sails etc and preparing for the passage.

We live not far from Topsham (towards the sea) and can see the estuary from our house - I will give you a wave.
 
This is my first season of sailing out of the Exe, I am still learning it's quirks and foibles!
The channel is well marked and easy to navigate on a calm day, but I think that with a stiff SW breeze it can chop up a bit and make some of the cans difficult to see.
If you struggle to see the markers once around Warren Point, you could try using the leading lights (astern) which have good vis even during the day.
I wouldn't leave any later than HW (around 0930) as you will have wind over tide after this which will make it lumpy.
I don't have my tidal charts here, but I'm guessing that you will have a foul tide initially (springs) so you would probably best to stay closer to the coast which will make for a gusty breeze.
If it gets hard work then Brixham would be a good bolt hole for a rest.

Have fun.
 
Thanks for the replies

I have checked the charts and tides, and your remarks and comments are
useful additions to the decision making process.

Many thanks,

Andy
 
R Exe

I can't comment about most of your questions but we left a visitors mooring in my newly bought Moody at the end of May in flat calm, top of tide close to neaps. Early in the morning with no other boats moving.
My brand new Garmin chartplotter with 4 day old charts had the channel in a completely different place to where the buoys were. I followed the buoyed channel and obviously had no problems.
My paper chart is 2 years old and not updated for the area so little use. Since I had planned to buy the chartplotter anyway I, possibly foolishly, didn't bother going back over old updates for the paper chart.
Good luck with the trip and with the new boat.
 
There are up to date survey charts on the Harbour Authority's web site here.
They were very useful when we visited the Exe for the first time a couple of years ago when the channel was on the move and the bouys were repidly going out of date!
 
I bought my Sadler 32 from Retreat and we launched at the top of a spring tide. The chart plotter showed the track the boat took on the way up which was useful. Our main problem was keeping to the channel as it crossed the river and we were being swept down near Lympstone.

As I recall you have to work out which way the river bends, rather than just join up the dots (bouys). The lower reaches were fairly straightforward.

It is a beautiful river, you'll enjoy it if you have time to look at the scenery.
 
FWIW here is my experience of the Exe.

Generally no problem, make sure you identify all the channel markers and don't be tempted to cut corners. Least depth I saw was 1.5 metres under my mobo (1m draft) crossing the sands at about half tide.

However the worst conditions I have ever been out in were when leaving the Exe with a stiffish onshore wind. Very lumpy and unpleasant, if the people I was taking out hadn't come from Sweden for the day I would have turned round and gone back in. I suspect it is probably at it's worst if the wind has been southerly for a day or two.

I would aim to arrive at the entrance just before high water and have a look, press on if you're happy. You should be able to get a pretty good idea of the sea state as you will pass along parrallel to the beach for quite a way before you turn to cross the sands.

From visitmyharbour.com - "It is inadvisable to approach the area with onshore winds from the East, right through to the South West. Heavy swell from this direction will also cause problems. Confused and breaking seas, plague the approach, and as you run in parallel to the beach you will be worryingly close to the lee Shore, which has several rocky outcrops to add to the fun."

Forecast for Wednesday now says "South or southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 at times, occasionally 7 later".

It depends how exciting you like your sailing but if it was me I would be looking at plan B, particularly for a shakedown trip.

My viewpoint is slightly skewed as I was in a 30' mobo when I was there and could pretty much ignore the currents in the river which can be very strong.
 
38Super said:
From visitmyharbour.com - "It is inadvisable to approach the area with onshore winds from the East, right through to the South West. Heavy swell from this direction will also cause problems. Confused and breaking seas, plague the approach, and as you run in parallel to the beach you will be worryingly close to the lee Shore, which has several rocky outcrops to add to the fun."
Click to expand...
That was written before the Pole Sand breached to give the new channel. You no longer run along past rocky outcrops.

The channel is clear and absolutely no problem if you follow the buoyage. My boat draws 1m and I have no concerns entering at LW neaps in favourable weather. I've only touched the bottom once and I was pushing it that day - before the channel was as deep as it is now, and before it was buoyed. It is a hard bottom - small gravel rather than fine sand - so best not to hit it too firmly.

I depart one to two hours after high water, but that's only because of the hour it takes me to get down from Topsham and I don't feel like butting the flood to get to Exmouth any sooner.

With bigger ranges I do my sums and come in on the flood - in calm conditions on most springs I would expect to be able to enter an hour after low water. If there is a bit of an easterly to southerly blow (up to F4) there will be some unpleasant lumps at the southern end of the Pole Sand channel, but they settle down before you get to the shallower water. The inner lumps - and very unpleasant they can be too - in the water are before (on the way out) the Pole Sand channel where the water is deeper anyway - more of an issue on the ebb, I don't usually notice anything on the way in. With stronger winds the conditions become progressively more lumpy and you need to be nearer to high water crossing Pole Sand.

I'd have to be desperate to consider an entry in a F6 or more from the East to SW, but then, I don't do that sort of thing anyway these days - I'd rather hide behind the breakwater in Brixham.
 
andygc said:
The channel is clear and absolutely no problem if you follow the buoyage. My boat draws 1m and I have no concerns entering at LW neaps in favourable weather.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. I have done it at LWN but I would not recommend anybody with a keel to try it.

andygc said:
I'd have to be desperate to consider an entry in a F6 or more from the East to SW, but then, I don't do that sort of thing anyway these days - I'd rather hide behind the breakwater in Brixham.
Click to expand...

Me too. I would need to have a very good reason for trying it in those conditions. With a SW wind I would also consider of going in to Teignmouth, mainly because I like it there.
 
Not sure you'll get this as is tuesday 5.50, but here goes.

Longbow draws 4' 4"? With my 4'8" draught, I can get in an out at LW+- 1.5 hours on nearly all spring tides, and at neaps, this isn't a problem at any time. As long as the swell is moderate (about 2') you should have no traumas. Once off the dock entrance it is important no to cut the corner at the warren bouy but to stay within 50m of the dock. Resist the temptation to get too close to the beach, as the beach shallows quickly and you will ground.

The new channel is well marked, but stick rigidly within it - there is no margin for error outside the bouys especially on a falling tide. Apart from all that, its straightforward. Just hope you make it downriver without running around somewhere else.

Good luck ;)
 
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